Screen for screening potatoes



(N'oModeL) 0. J. SMITH.

SCREEN FDR SCREENING POTATOES.

No zsaises. Patented Feb. '12-, 1884,

. MHz Z5555. VVJLN N, PETERS. Phofblilhugnphur, Washinglnll. u C.

v40 arated from the small ones rapidly and easily.

rims-D STATES j meme l thri e] ORSON J. SMITH, or FAR-Man 01w, rnninorsf SCREEN FOR sCREgE Nl 'N-G POTATOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Pia/cent No. 293,368, dated FebruarylQ, I884.

- Applicaiionlfiled December 3,1883. No model.) i i To all whom it may concern Be it known, that I, ORSON J. SMITH, of j 1 screens for screening potatoes; and it consists,

first, in the combination of the side pieces,

end pieces, and screw-threaded rods, the end pieces at the lower end of the screen be ing provided with shoulders to prevent the rods from turning while the nuts arebeing tightened upon their opposite ends; second,

in the combination of the upper screen, legs to support it at one end, and a trestleat the other, with the lower screen having its surface inclined toward one side, and provided with the opening through one side near its lower end, whereby potatoes of different sizes are deposited at the front and rear of the trestle; third, in the combination of the upper screen, the supporting-legs for its upper ends, the trestle for supporting its lower end, and which is provided with means for keeping the end of the screen in place, the lower screen removablyattached to the upper one, and having its surface inclined toward one side and provided with an opening for the escape of the potatoes at the rear of the trestle, all of .which will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to provide a screen by means of which potatoes can be cleaned from all dirt, and the large ones sep- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a screen embodying myinvention. Fig. 2

is a side view of the screen and its attachments. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through the two screens, taken on the lines a b of Fig. 1.

The trestle, which is used to support the lower end of the. screens, consists of the runners A, from which rise the inclined standards B, which are joinedtogether at their up- Upon the top of this horizontal piece 0 is sef cured the strip D, against which the lower end 5 of the upper screen bears for the pnrposeof preventing the screen from slipping off of the A top m of the trestle. Suitable notches, c, are formed in the rear side of this piece D to receive the ends of the screen, and thus prevent any sidewise movement. To the front side of i the trestle are nailed suitable boards, E, to prevent the larger potatoes from running backward under the trestle, and to prevent the smaller potatoes from running forward and mixing with the larger ones. TherunnersA are used for the purpose of enabling the trestle to be readily hauled from one place to another. Where the potatoes are to be run directly pensed with, and the lower end of the upper screen may then be connected to the window or an opening of any kind in the sideof the house, sothat the potatoes may run directly into the cellar, and thus save the troubleof handling them twice.

lhe upper screen, F, is supported at its upper end by means of the pivoted legs G, which may be moved back and forth according as it is desired to incline the screens at a greater or less angle. This top screen, F, consists of the side pieces, H, which are of any suitable width, and which are connected together at their upper ends. by means of the two crosspieces I, which are separated just far enough, as shown in Fig. 3, to allow the metallic or wooden rods J to pass between them. The lower ends of the side strips are also secured together by means of two cross-pieces, L, which are also separated asufficient distance to allow the rods J to pass between them, and each piece L is provided with a shoulder or rabbet, (Z, for the heads upon the rods to catch against, and thus prevent the rods from turning while the nuts are being screwed upon their upper ends.

not only removable from the screen, to be reken, but are made adj ustable laterallyin regard to each other, so as to increase or decrease the space between them, and thus regulate the size of potatoes which shall drop through upon the into the cellar this trestle-work maybe dis The rods by this construction are made 7 paired in case they should become bent or bro-- per ends by means of the horizontal piece C. I

lower screen. By thus making the rods removable and adjustable, the size of the potatoes will be regulated at will. The upper edge of the upper one of the two cross-pieces L is beveled, so as to allow the potatoes to readily pass over it. Also secured between the lower ends of the side pieces, and in a line with the top edge of the top piece L, is the board N, which serves to guide the potatoes down over the top of the trestle. Potatoes of different sizes, and which are mixed more or less with dirt when thrown upon this upper screen, screen themselves as they run down theincline plane which-is formed by the rods J. All of the dirt and the smaller potatoes drop through upon the lower screen, while the larger ones pass down over the front of the trestle. The screen is fastened at its lower end to the top of the trestle by means of the hooks O.

Fastened to the under side of the upper screen .by means of hooks e or other suitable devices is a lower screen, P, the rods or bars Q of which are separateda suitable distance apart. These rods Q are supported by the end pieces, S, of the frame, and by the crosspieces S. Instead of placing these rods upon a level, they are made to incline either toward one or both sides, as may be preferred. By inclining the rods toward one or both sides, the potatoes are made to run toward the sides of the screen as they move down the incline plane, and when they reach its lower end they pass off through the openings T, which are made through the side pieces for that purpose. Instead of catching against theend of the screen and remaining in the screen, they at once pass out through the openings T upon the ground in the rear of the trestle. As the board upon the front of the trestle prevents the smaller potatoes from mingling with the large ones, it will be seen that two piles of potatoes are formed, the larger ones being thrown to the front of the trestle, while the smaller ones drop in behind.

If so desired, the upper screen, which is longer than the lower one, may be made to incline toward one or both sides, as shown by the lower screen, in which case, instead of having the potatoes pass directly to the front of the trestle, they would be passed off through a suitable opening made in one or both of the side pieces.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a potato-screen, the combination of the side pieces, H, end pieces, I L, and screwthreaded rods J, the pieces L being provided with the shoulders d, substantially as shown.

2. The combination of the upper screen, legs to support it at one end, and a trestle at the other, with the lower screen having its surface inclined toward one side, and provided with the opening T through one side near its lower end, whereby potatoes of different sizes are deposited at the front and rear of the trestle, substantially as described.

8. The combination ofthe upper screen, the legs G, the trestle provided with means upon its top to keep the end of the upper screen in place, and the lower screen, P, removably attached to the upper one, and having its surface inclined toward one side, and provided with the opening T through one side, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, ()R-SON J. SMITH.

Witnesses:

J. W. MORELAND, F. J. MILLER. 

